Learjet 45 Simulator Project

Here is a Learjet 45 simulator being assembled at a Flight Safety training facility. This is the “real” deal that likely cost more than the airplane itself.

Learjet 45 Simulator Install Photos

Hey all, just a quick update to let everyone know I’m doing well. I have the sim temporarily set up with a DLP projector and controls, mainly so the family could fly it over the holidays. I’ve been flying it too, and am hesitant to tear into it, ’cause even in this state it’s lots of fun. However, I will be resuming the shell work as soon as I’ve worked off the pounds I gained drinking all that egg nog.

Testing Twitter integration with the blog.

The rough shaping and sanding is done. Final sanding requires a guide coat, so I found some old acrylic paint I had sitting around and used that. What, you thought I wanted a purple plane? Only if I was Prince or a rabid Vikings fan.

Learjet 45 Simulator Shell with Sanding Guide Coat Applied

Just a quick update on my progress:

Phase 1: Rough trimming -Complete
Phase 2: Rough shaping -In progress
Phase 3: Foam putty (Fill in bubbles and other voids) -In progress
Phase 4: Final shaping (Various automotive block sanders) -Not started
Phase 5: Foam hardener -Not started
Phase 6: Paint -Not started

Learjet 45 Shell Foam Shaping Progress

Sometimes I like to crank up the air traffic to 100 percent and sit in the tower and watch it all happen around me. If you have FSX Deluxe, there’s a way you can get yourself into the control tower. It’s not a fully functional ATC simulation, like some of the stand-alone software available, but it’s just enough for me to have some fun without getting stressed -I get enough of that working on my ‘pit.  There’s a great article about how to do this here on the FS Insider site.

Have fun!

In the Tower at KMSP Watching 30 Left

…took longer than expected, but the Bondo finally cured, and I was able to fill the shell wall voids with foam. It was more than a little surprising that it took so many cans to get it done- 12 in all. The clerks at the local hardware store where I was buying all this spray foam were, not surprisingly,  giving me the twenty questions routine. I’ve learned that telling the truth in these situations is not always the best policy.

It needs to stabilize for a few days before I can start trimming and sanding it down.

Learjet 45 Simulator Cockpit Shell with Foam

I’m making progress with the Learjet 45 Red Protoype repaint. Moving the textures from my PC laptop to my Macintosh graphics workstation and then back again is kind of a pain.  The most difficult part (and what I’m leaving for last) of the painting will be those sleek pinstripes that run down the fuselage. I have to remove the existing ones and make new ones in a different place. The quality of this screenshot leaves something to be desired, but I submit to you, another teaser.

Learjet 45 Prototype Repaint

Smelly and messy is all I can say about that stuff. Make sure you get some ventilation and/or wear a respirator when working with it.

In preparation for the foaming process, I am filling the grooves (fluting) I made in the outside of the hardboard wall pieces with Bondo to help strengthen and keep their shape if  things ever need to be disassembled. The filler foam will be sprayed on top of that and then shaped with hand tools and automotive finishing sanding blocks (used for body fenders and such).

Learjet 45 Shell (Now with Bondo!)

Well, I woke up to four inches of wet snow today. Not quite what I expected, even for Minnesota. Oh well, so much for cleaning up the yard. I guess I’ll have to stay in and work on my ‘pit.